Dallas Cowboys' Romo vows to be a better leader
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
Tony Romo wants to win a Super Bowl badly, is still bothered by missing the playoffs three weeks after the season ended and said his leadership approach will be different in 2009.
Since the Cowboys' season ended with a 44-6 loss on Dec. 28 at Philadelphia, Romo had remained silent with the local media.
"I think leadership sometimes comes with your ability to perform and your personality," Romo said in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "And some of it comes with experience. In a lot of ways, I think I've gotten to the point where I've gained experience.
"I'm definitely going to take a more active approach with that as we move forward from last year to this season. I'll be very excited to get back out there and be with the guys and figure out a way to improve and get better and do the things we need to do to win. Period."
The loss to the Eagles drew the ire of fans and raised questions about Romo's desire to win a championship.
"If this is the worst thing that ever happens to me," Romo said after the game, "then I'll have lived a pretty good life."
Speaking Tuesday on Michael Irvin's radio show, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said Romo should worry more about perception.
"I think maybe things happened so quickly for Tony in terms of obscurity to all of a sudden national spotlight that he hasn't fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about," Aikman said. "And you don't go to Cabo the week before a playoff game. You just don't do it.
"To say, 'I don't worry about perception,' you better worry about perception because it is a big part of making it through some very difficult times."
Romo acknowledges he gets "philosophical," about things because it "might ease the pain of the moment," and that's what he said he did in Philadelphia.
"I might have tried to find a silver lining to talk myself into feeling OK," Romo said. "But I'm still not OK with it."
Romo's comment that the offense was "exposed" by the Eagles, was viewed as a criticism of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Romo said he and Garrett have talked since.
"We met after the football game and went into what went pretty good and what we could've done differently," Romo said. "Going forward, I'm pretty excited about some of the things we're going to be doing." He declined to get into specifics.
After that game, Romo collapsed in the shower because of rib cartilage injury. He missed three games with a fractured pinkie, suffered a 13-stitch gash on his chin in the first game and injured his back later in the season, while going through other maladies.
"I think this was definitely the most trying physical year I've had in my athletic career," Romo said. "Sometimes you have to go through that, and if you do go through something like that, you can be stronger."
Romo did not want to talk about his relationship with Terrell Owens, joking, "Haven't we been through that already?" or his practice performance, which sources questioned late in the season.
However, Romo has said he treats practices like games in order to be ready for any situation that might arise when things are for real, and his coaches have never questioned his work in practice.
"I promise you," Romo said, "this football team is going to be a good football team next year."
tarcher@dallasnews.com
Tony Romo wants to win a Super Bowl badly, is still bothered by missing the playoffs three weeks after the season ended and said his leadership approach will be different in 2009.
Since the Cowboys' season ended with a 44-6 loss on Dec. 28 at Philadelphia, Romo had remained silent with the local media.
"I think leadership sometimes comes with your ability to perform and your personality," Romo said in a telephone interview Wednesday night. "And some of it comes with experience. In a lot of ways, I think I've gotten to the point where I've gained experience.
"I'm definitely going to take a more active approach with that as we move forward from last year to this season. I'll be very excited to get back out there and be with the guys and figure out a way to improve and get better and do the things we need to do to win. Period."
The loss to the Eagles drew the ire of fans and raised questions about Romo's desire to win a championship.
"If this is the worst thing that ever happens to me," Romo said after the game, "then I'll have lived a pretty good life."
Speaking Tuesday on Michael Irvin's radio show, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman said Romo should worry more about perception.
"I think maybe things happened so quickly for Tony in terms of obscurity to all of a sudden national spotlight that he hasn't fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about," Aikman said. "And you don't go to Cabo the week before a playoff game. You just don't do it.
"To say, 'I don't worry about perception,' you better worry about perception because it is a big part of making it through some very difficult times."
Romo acknowledges he gets "philosophical," about things because it "might ease the pain of the moment," and that's what he said he did in Philadelphia.
"I might have tried to find a silver lining to talk myself into feeling OK," Romo said. "But I'm still not OK with it."
Romo's comment that the offense was "exposed" by the Eagles, was viewed as a criticism of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Romo said he and Garrett have talked since.
"We met after the football game and went into what went pretty good and what we could've done differently," Romo said. "Going forward, I'm pretty excited about some of the things we're going to be doing." He declined to get into specifics.
After that game, Romo collapsed in the shower because of rib cartilage injury. He missed three games with a fractured pinkie, suffered a 13-stitch gash on his chin in the first game and injured his back later in the season, while going through other maladies.
"I think this was definitely the most trying physical year I've had in my athletic career," Romo said. "Sometimes you have to go through that, and if you do go through something like that, you can be stronger."
Romo did not want to talk about his relationship with Terrell Owens, joking, "Haven't we been through that already?" or his practice performance, which sources questioned late in the season.
However, Romo has said he treats practices like games in order to be ready for any situation that might arise when things are for real, and his coaches have never questioned his work in practice.
"I promise you," Romo said, "this football team is going to be a good football team next year."
posted by The Gryphon at 7:42 AM
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